How to Practice Pigeon Pose

The hip is a complex collection of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that play an important role in body mobility. Sitting in front of the computer for a long time is the cause of the hip not being exercised and stretched. Activities like running, walking, and cycling strengthen the hips, but they don’t stretch the hips, leading to fatigue. Pressure is also a major contributing factor to hip fatigue as we tend to take the load on our hips. Incorporating the pigeon pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana into your daily yoga routine is a way to eliminate hip fatigue. ^{[1] X Research Sources}^{[2] X Research Sources}

Table of Contents

Dove pose practice

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Start in a downward facing dog position. The knee is located just below the hip. The hands are located slightly above the shoulders. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

After entering Downward Dog, it’s best to learn how to transition into pigeon pose from this basic position.

Lift and straighten your right leg back. Slide your foot forward to the back of your right wrist. Rotate the right shin so that the right foot is in front of the left knee and behind the left hand.

At this point, the outside of the right shin is resting on the floor. The higher you push your right heel up, the more intense and tense this pose will be.
Keep the right foot extended to protect the knee.
If you’re new to yoga, you should bend your front knee as much as you want, as long as it feels comfortable and not tight. It is important to protect the knee in this position to avoid causing discomfort to the knee joint. After some practice, you should be able to bring your shins more parallel to the front edge of the mat. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Straighten the left leg lying behind. Straighten your left leg and let your right thigh rest on the floor. Lean back making sure your left leg is straight behind you and doesn’t shift to either side.

Make sure the hamstrings are rotating inwards. Press all five back toes onto the mat.

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Lower the outside of the right buttock to the floor. Position the right heel directly in front of the left hip.

People tend to avoid putting weight on the right hip, especially when this position is tiring. However, you should maintain a balanced weight for both sides.

Place your hands on either side of your legs. Inhale and lift yourself up, resting on your fingertips. Try to lengthen the spine. Lengthen your lower back by pressing your tailbone down and forward.

Exhale and place your torso on your right leg. There’s no need to worry about putting your head on the mat, as you just need to lower your head to the point where your hips are still comfortable, but also stretch your hips down. Focus on evenly distributing the weight on your hips and keeping your spine straight.

If your hips are flexible enough, stretch your arms forward and overlap your hands. With your head resting on your hands, rest your torso on your right thigh.

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Hold this pose for 4-5 breaths. Inhale deeply and exhale completely through the nose. Continue to maintain even weight on the hips and straighten the spine forward, downward.

Lift yourself up and bring your hands back to the floor. Inhale while slowly pulling your left knee forward. Exhale and raise your right leg back to downward facing dog. Continue to hold the right leg elevated for 1-2 breaths to release the tension that has built up in the right hip.

Exhale as you lower your right leg. Lower down on your knees to crawling position. Repeat the same dove pose with the left leg.

Remember to position your left leg correctly and breathe deeply with each movement.

Take the pose slowly. The pigeon pose can be uncomfortable for some people, especially when their hips are tight and tired. If your hips are too tight and uncomfortable, take a deep breath and stop doing it. Do one more sun salutation and then try this pose again. Work slowly and only continue as long as your hips and knees are comfortable. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Do not force your hips to get into pigeon pose. Be patient and over time your flexibility will increase, as the hips begin to get used to stretching.

Adjust the posture if you are a yoga practitioner. People with more yoga experience or with flexible hips can stretch more by arching their backs. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Inhale and lift your torso up into the pigeon pose. Bend your back knee (left leg) and reach your left arm back to grasp the outside of your left foot. Stretch left foot and maintain even weight on both hips.
If it still feels good, you can reach your right arm back to grasp the inside of your left foot. Keep shoulder level facing the front of the room.
Hold this pose for 4-5 breaths. Continue to push your shoulders back and lift your chest up.
Slowly release from the pose and place your hands on the sides of your right leg. Repeat this adjustment for the opposite side.

Dove pose

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Return to downward facing dog and make sure to keep your feet and hands on the floor. Alternately lift each heel off the floor so that it moves freely.

Lift your right leg up and straighten it back. Raise the leg straight back, so that the leg forms an upward oblique line from the back, but you don’t need to worry if you are not flexible enough to do this. Hold your feet overhead for a deep breath.

Pull your left knee toward your chest while inhaling. Slowly bring the knee in front of the body and bend into an approximate 90-degree angle as the knee passes through the front of the chest.

Place the outside of the right thigh on the mattress so that the foot points to the left. This is a very important move to get into pigeon pose. While you are bringing your leg forward, try to bend and put your foot down smoothly. You are now resting on the outside of your right foot and the top of your left foot, which is not moving.

Focus on exhaling as you put this foot down, as this will make it easier for you to stretch into the pigeon pose.
The higher you push your knee forward with a knee flexion of about 90 degrees or more, the more stretch the pose will have.

After balancing your body, bring your hands back and place them across your hips. Before that, you were in the downward facing dog position, so your hands are out in front of you. Using your fingertips on the floor, place them behind your hips, about 15-20 cm behind your shoulders.

Straighten your back leg so that your body rests on the instep of your left foot. Slowly raise your left foot, while the foot is resting on the toes. Straighten your toes so that your body rests on the instep.

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Lengthen your spine, control your breathing, and lower your buttocks to the floor. After entering the pigeon pose from downward facing dog, the rest is exactly the same as downward facing dog. Focus on lengthening your spine, lifting your chin and chest so you feel taller and relaxed. With each exhale, try to bring your buttocks closer to the floor for more stretch.

Bend forward to increase the stretch in the buttocks and hips. When you’re ready, bend forward so your chest rests on your knees. The forehead is almost on the floor or touches the floor. Fully extend your arms forward with palms facing the floor. Similarly, with each exhale, you pull your body tighter into the pigeon pose.

Reach out to grab your hind legs for a more difficult pigeon pose. Inhale and lift your torso up into the pigeon pose. Bend your back knee (left leg) and reach your left arm back to grasp the outside of your left ankle. Stretch left foot and maintain even weight on both hips. Continue to push your shoulders back and lift your chest up forward, holding this position while looking up at the ceiling.

Reach one more hand behind you to try a more difficult pose. If you feel confident holding your left foot with your left hand, add your right hand to the inside of your left ankle. Keep shoulder level facing the front of the room. To get your hands behind you, you have to have good balance, central control, and flexibility.

Hold this position for 4-5 breaths and then release your feet back to the floor.

Things you need

Yoga Mattress

Steps

Dove pose practice

Dove pose

Things you need

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